Operator urges agents to spell check
Thomas Cook is reminding agents to check with their clients that names are spelt correctly on tickets after one of its passengers was charged a punishing £100 to remove an ‘a’ from their name at the airport.
The operator increased its fee for complete name changes from £35 to £100 on September 11, but this passenger was charged the higher amount NINE days earlier.
She had booked a fly-drive package on a Thomas Cook charter through a Co-operative personal travel advisor who complained that the charge was excessive, especially as it was only a misspelling, not a complete name change.
Cook admitted it had been a mistake to charge the passenger £100 for the incorrect spelling, saying she should only have been charged an admin fee of £35 for the correction. It said she would be offered a refund, but the operator stressed clients must check their names are spelt correctly.
The Thomas Cook spokeswoman added: "For any Thomas Cook Mainstream bookings, complete name changes which are actioned on the day of departure have now been increased to £100 per name.
"We ask all agents to remind customers to check that passenger names on the booking match the passport."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive